Seehundstation Friedrichskoog

Since the 1950s, orphaned seal pups – known in German as Heuler (“wailers”) – were cared for by dedicated locals in Friedrichskoog, often in private gardens or even aboard fishing boats. In 1985, these grassroots efforts culminated in the founding of the Seehundstation Friedrichskoog, a specialized rescue and rehabilitation center for seals. The station quickly became a vital institution, especially during the devastating outbreak of the phocine distemper virus in the late 1980s and early 2000s, which severely impacted the seal population of the Wadden Sea.

Today, Friedrichskoog is the only seal rescue center in Germany that maintains a resident group of harbor seals and grey seals, housed in a large enclosure with underwater viewing windows. The station is officially authorized under the Agreement on the Conservation of Seals in the Wadden Sea and operates as the sole licensed rehabilitation facility for seals in Schleswig-Holstein. It is also a hub for environmental education and marine research, welcoming over 150,000 visitors annually and offering interactive exhibits, guided tours, and public feedings.

In 2019, the station transitioned into a non-profit limited company (gGmbH), with the state of Schleswig-Holstein as its main stakeholder, ensuring long-term support and integration into regional conservation strategies.